Summary:From the Birmingham jail, where he was imprisoned as a participant in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in longhand the letter which follows. It was his response to a public statement of concern and caution issued by eight white religious leaders of the South.

Imagine you are Dr. King and you must respond to those who are in opposition to the current protests happening in the United States i.e. (DACA, #takeaknee, DAPL, Black Lives Matter, #notme/timesups and others) Identify lines, quotes, evidence in the Letter from Birmingham Jail and explain how you can apply the insights, and beliefs expressed in the letter to one or more of today’s protests.

3. Allow students approx. 10 minutes to discuss/collaborate in their groups and then begin the first round of Who’s the Stray. Repeat the process in 5-7 minute increments so that students have time to discuss/synthesize the information they got from other groups.

How else can you VABB the Letter from Birmingham Jail for your students of all ages? Check out the latest issue of VABB Perspectives for more ideas!